Pages

Monday, March 25, 2019

A new god from Yemen?

CANDIDA MOSS: Was This Just Discovered God Worshipped by the Queen of Sheba? A tablet from Yemen is remarkable because of its inscription: it is the first and only reference to a previously unknown ancient deity named Athtar Harmān (The Daily Beast).

This story was broken by Owen Jarus at Live Science: Ancient Inscription Points to Lost Temple of Unknown God in Yemen. But Professor Moss suggested the connection with the Queen of Sheba. That depends in part on whether the Queen came from Yemen or Ethiopia. Both are possible.

One complication is that the tablet was sold by auction and there is some concern that it may have been looted. So far no one has mentioned an additional concern: if it is unprovenanced, it could be a forgery. Perhaps specialists have good reason to believe it is a real ancient artifact. That question is outside my expertise, but I would like to see an expert address it.

For many past posts on the Queen of Sheba which explore both geographical possibilities, start here and follow the links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.